Tua Tagovailoa's value cratered during his final season with the Miami Dolphins, but quality quarterbacks come at a premium in the NFL. After Malik Willis agreed to join the Dolphins for more than $22 million per year, surely Tagovailoa could make a decent dollar on the open market.
Instead, Tagovailoa has agreed to a minimum contract with the Atlanta Falcons, where he will at least be insurance next to Michael Penix Jr. and could be Kevin Sefanski's starter.
Despite his low salary in Atlanta, Tagovailoa won't actually have to worry about money in 2026.
Here's what you need to know about Tagovailoa's Falcons contract and why he's making the veteran minimum.
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Tua Tagovailoa contract, explained
Tagovailoa will be one of the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks in 2026, making $54 million. Just 2.3 percent of that salary will come from the Falcons.
The Dolphins released Tagovailoa still owing him $54 million in guarantees. In total, Miami's dead cap hit for releasing Tagovailoa is $99 million, which will be split between the next two seasons.
Because Tagovailoa is set to make $54 million regardless of where he plays, it only made sense for him to sign the cheapest possible contract with his new team. The Falcons will pay him the veteran minimum of $1.215 million, while the Dolphins will pay out the remaining $52.785 million.
Russell Wilson signed a similar deal with the Steelers in 2024, joining Pittsburgh on a minimum deal because the Broncos still owed him $39 million for the season. The deal allowed Pittsburgh to allocate its money elsewhere, while the Falcons can do the same — though there is no guarantee Tagovailoa starts like Wilson did for the Steelers.
MORE: Why the Dolphins released Tua Tagovailoa
How much will Tua Tagovailoa make in 2026?
Tagovailoa is still set to make $54 million in 2026, but most of it won't be paid out by the Falcons. By giving Tagovailoa a one-year, $1.215 million deal at the league minimum, the Falcons are still leaving the Dolphins on the hook for $52.785 million.
This isn't a situation similar to Shohei Ohtani's MLB deal with the Dodgers, which has him making $2 million in actual salary each year until deferred payments begin at the contract's expiration. Tagovailoa is still making his full salary, but only a small portion of it is coming from the team he actually plays for.
NFL veteran minimum salary in 2026
Minimum contracts in the NFL vary by service time. Here are the figures for 2026, according to Spotrac:
Service time Minimum salary
0 $885,000
1 $1.005 million
2 $1.075 million
3 $1.145 million
4 $1.215 million
5 $1.215 million
6 $1.215 million
7+ $1.3 million
Tagovailoa has played six seasons in the NFL, so his minimum salary corresponds with the figure next to year six despite 2026 being his seventh season.